Asia Cup 2025: "What is going on behind closed doors?"- AB de Villiers calls Shreyas Iyer's snub 'weird'

AB de Villiers said it was weird that Shreyas Iyer was not picked in the Indian squad for Asia Cup 2025.

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers spoke about the possible reasons why Shreyas Iyer was overlooked in the India squad for Asia Cup 2025. He believes that some off-field factors might be the reason for the batter’s snub from the tournament.

Shreyad Iyer’s omission from the Indian squad for Asia Cup 2025 has surprised many cricket fans and former cricketers. This has become a major talking point, especially after how the Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper performed in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

At a spectacular average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07, the right-handed batsman scored 604 runs in 17 games. He finished as the highest run-scorer for his team and sixth highest in the tournament. Many expected Iyer to be part of the Indian squad for Asia Cup 2025. But, chief selector Ajit Agarkar openly said that they do not have a spot for him in the current setup.

Shreyas Iyer’s omission from Asia Cup 2025 squad is weird: AB de Villiers

During a live chat with his fans on X (formerly Twitter), De Villiers said that it was weird that a quality player like Iyer was not picked in the India squad. He also said that some off-field factors might be responsible for his snub.

“It is tough, guys. I was just going through the squad. I was thinking, where can we fit Shreyas in, because I’ve seen all the headlines and some fans being upset. I think Shreyas will be the most upset because he’s played some really good cricket over the last few years,” he said.

“He’s matured a lot. He has shown a lot of leadership qualities, but who knows what is going on behind closed doors? No one. Not me. Not you guys. Maybe not even Shreyas knows. But there might be a few things that have taken place over the years that have determined why he’s not the flavour of the month for a certain tournament”, he added.

“I’m just honestly taking a complete guess. Of course, it is weird to me, a quality player like that, not making the starting squad for Team India, especially with the leadership qualities he’s bringing. Maybe it will be too much of a clash with him there,” De Villiers further added.

Notably, commentators Aakash Chopra and Sanjay Manjrekar also lambasted Indian selectors for overlooking Iyer for Asia Cup 2025. The right-handed batsman last played for the country during ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in March, where he finished as the highest run-scorer for the team.

Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav will captain India in Asia Cup 2025 with Shubman Gill being his deputy for the tournament. Gill will be making his return to the T20I side after more than a year. Asia Cup 2025 will be played from September 9 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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